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Friday, October 4, 2013

Clean Eating Day 7 Wrap Up

Well, I did it... I went seven days without even one lick of sugar! I ate fruits, vegetables, lean meat, legumes and eggs only. No sauces, sugar, carbs, dairy, processed food, condiments, etc. And guess what? I didn't cheat!

So I bet you're wondering if I lost any weight. As of this morning... drumroll, please... I lost six pounds. Yippee! A nice little start to the fifteen pounds I wanted to lose.

I thought seven days would be long enough for me to stop craving sugar. Well, it was and it wasn't. I definitely crave it less, but I went to a meeting on Wednesday where they had a bowl of M&M's on the table and it nearly killed me not to eat any. However, I haven't been waking up wishing for a brownie for breakfast, so it's an improvement!

Is this a lifestyle I can stick to? Heck no. I cannot go without carbs and dairy. I actually don't think it's healthy to for a long period of time. I also can't say no to every special occasion treat or going out for pizza. A few days in, I was really hating life and it's because I felt deprived. I watched my family eat pancakes (whole wheat pancakes to boot) and couldn't have them? Yeah, that's not how I want to live.

So I've learned some important lessons:

1. I am in control of food. Food doesn't control me. I do have willpower!

2. I don't always need to add a lot of fat and sugar to things to make them taste good.... there are a lot of delicious fruits, vegetables and herbs for me to eat and they taste great!

3. I would rather put most of my effort into exercising and have a less extreme, but still healthy, diet. Dieting makes me sad. Exercising makes me happy. It's a no-brainer for me.

4. Yeah, I lost some weight. But I was miserable doing it. I will be content to lose it more slowly and be happier doing it.

5. Moderation. Moderation. Moderation. I think that's the name of the game when it comes to making a permanent change in behavior. Choose a pear instead of a cookie. Take the stairs. Don't go back for seconds. Walk instead of drive. Repeat every day, every month, every year and you have yourself a healthier life.

7 comments:

You've inspired me! I've started counting calories this week. It's amazing how much "mindless" eating I do. It's almost like training your brain to stop when it feels full, and remembering to use treats as well, a treat -to sit and enjoy it, not to eat it in passing, or to eat 10 instead of 1.

I think counting calories is the way to go, too. I also try and watch my carbs, sugar, and fat, but I totally agree with you.....living WITHOUT them altogether is not something I want to do. Moderation is a wonderful word, isn't it?